N-plants To Figure In Talks, US may offer India-like nuke deal to Pakistan

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
1

N-plants to figure in talks, says Patterson

WASHINGTON: Pakistan’s request for nuclear power plants may come up for discussion during the US-Pakistan strategic dialogue, which begins in Washington on March 24.

The indications came from two senior US officials, ambassadors Richard Holbrooke and Anne W. Patterson.

Ambassador Patterson, the US envoy in Islamabad, told a Los Angeles-based Pakistani newspaper: “We are beginning to have a discussion with the Pakistan government” on the country’s desire to tap nuclear energy. “We are going to have working level talks” on the issue in Washington this month.

She told the Pakistan Link newspaper that earlier America’s “non-proliferation concerns were quite severe” but attitudes in Washington were changing. “I think we are beginning to pass those and this is a scenario that we are going to explore,” she added.

Mr Holbrooke, the US special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, was less categorical but what he said at a briefing on Friday on the US-Pakistan strategic talks conveyed a similar message.

“While addressing Pakistan’s energy needs, are you considering helping them establish nuclear power plants to meet their energy needs?” he was asked.

A transcript released by the State Department on Saturday quoted Mr Holbrooke as saying: “We have a very broad and complex agenda in these talks, and this is the first strategic dialogue ever at this level, and the first of this administration. And we’re going to listen carefully to whatever the Pakistanis say.”

The response marks the first time a US official did not reject the Pakistani request outright. On all previous occasions, US officials insisted that their agreement for supplying nuclear power plants to India was exclusive to New Delhi and could not be offered to another country.

The Washington Post reported earlier this month that the Obama administration was taking several steps to address Pakistani security concerns. “One is to implicitly accept Pakistan’s status as a declared nuclear weapons state and thereby counter conspiracy theories that the United States is secretly plotting to seize Pakistani nukes,” the report said.

Last month, a US scholar wrote an article in the Wall Street Journal backing Pakistan’s demand that the US should negotiate a nuclear deal with Pakistan, as it did with India.

“More so than conventional weapons or large sums of cash, a conditions-based civilian nuclear deal may be able to diminish Pakistani fears of US intentions while allowing Washington to leverage these gains for greater Pakistani cooperation on nuclear proliferation and terrorism,” wrote C. Christine Fair, an assistant professor at Georgetown University.

In her interview to the Link, Ambassador Patterson said the US was acutely conscious of the precarious energy situation in Pakistan, of people “sweating in 120 degree” without electricity, and would play its due role in raising installed generating capacity and making up for the present shortfall. US companies will be persuaded to invest in the power sector in Pakistan.

DAWN.COM | Front Page | N-plants to figure in talks, says Patterson

2

Re: N-plants To Figure In Talks, US may offer India-like nuke deal to Pakistan

Not bad. If we can get civilian nuclear energy we can solve our energy crisis and work on our industry and exports.

3

Allah Rahem Keray!!

4

Re: N-plants To Figure In Talks, US may offer India-like nuke deal to Pakistan

There are few things that are important in the nuclear deals.

  1. Promise of non-proliferation (no more namak harams like Qadeer in the midst of our scientists)
  2. CASH $$$$ ($3 billion per plant)

However when in doubt, just remember Cash is KING.

If we had $6-10 billion cash available. many countries in the world would be lining up at our door.

But we are a cash poor country. AND we are too tribal headed to change our ways in order to earn more cash.

And thus our misery goes on and on.

p.s. India nuke deal is no handout. US wants to score the same goals.

  1. It wants to reign in India's nuki toys (no wonder leftists in India are having hard time accepting this condition).

  2. Get some of the Cash back from India (that India has been making off of call centers for US companies).

5

Re: N-plants To Figure In Talks, US may offer India-like nuke deal to Pakistan

India-like deal may not be a bad idea. What's wrong giving nuclear energy technology for civilian use to any country? In return it will ensure all nuclear facilities and installations in Pakistan, including military ones, will be required to come under routine inspections.

This will also significantly reduce the threat perception about Pakistani nukes material falling into terrorist hands

6

Re: N-plants To Figure In Talks, US may offer India-like nuke deal to Pakistan

faf it, the threat perception is a better deal unles the US starts to turn a corner on its foreign policy

7

yeah its nice that they have the "dialog" but when something bears fruit and they actually do something.

8

Re: N-plants To Figure In Talks, US may offer India-like nuke deal to Pakistan

Looks like it is a no go!

Me thinks! Not unless Pakistan signs the NPT. slaughtering the qurbani bakra of AQK is not enough. US knows there are many more "Islamists bombers" in Pak nuclear establishment.

Ms. Clinton has been unable to get more than what she says they are giving $125 million for the power sector.

Unfortunately we need 20 nuclear plants in the next 5-10 years. That means at least $40 to $60 billion.

Perhaps it is time that we signed the NPT with appropriate guarantees for Pak security.

No NPT, means nothing concrete from any EU/US nuclear company.

India and China both have $60-100 billion cash so their position is different from Pak. They are not being asked for the NPT.

We need both the $$$ and the plants from the USA, and thus we have to sign additional guarantees.

what's that song. Its money that matters.

9

Re: N-plants To Figure In Talks, US may offer India-like nuke deal to Pakistan

Where do you come up with these figures? 20 Nuclear power plants in 5 to 10 years? That is insane.

As for the nuclear deal. The FM said he was happy with what had happened so far, so there should have been some progress.

10

Typical nculear plant from the West (that Chinese are buying) can reliabally produce 1000 MW. and they cost $2-3 billion each.

Pakistan is short by 30,000 MW.

So do the math.

Sure we have KBD, Bhasha, and Thar. But their combined output won't be more than 5,000 as per the current plans.

Solar may add 20-100 MW if we invest in it.
Add 10-50 MW for wind

Thus we have to go with nuclear based energy.

FM has to say good things.

But I looked at Hillary's statement that US is allocating $125 million for Pak's energy needs. Looks like that will all go to waste in the expensive rental power plants.

11

Re: N-plants To Figure In Talks, US may offer India-like nuke deal to Pakistan

Err…30,000 MW? That is not correct.

Edit: http://pkonweb.com/2010/03/17/electricity-shortage-deepens-power-crisis-in-pakistan/

It is actually between 3,000 and 4,000. Not 30,000. By your own figures. We only need two nuclear power plants to meet the demand. Followed up with the dams and other hydro-power we should be smooth sailing.

12

Re: N-plants To Figure In Talks, US may offer India-like nuke deal to Pakistan

The very fact that the US didnt shoot down the very mention of Nuke tech outright is a good sign.
If they werent considering it, they wouldnt have even allowed the suggestion.

13

Re: N-plants To Figure In Talks, US may offer India-like nuke deal to Pakistan

Pakistan should get nuclear energy in the line of India, afterall energy especially electricity is basic requirement
The only concern is that Pakistan should not sign NPT, because Pakistan does this, it is possible that US may try to bracket India to do the same
Rest, good luck, you must get such thing if your pocket allows it.

jeetIAF

14

Yeah yeah SM bhai.

I have seen those figures.

If you want to live like gad awful hellhole aka Fagahnis, or those primitive tree dwelling tribals, then yes,

shoot for 4,000 MW and that will keep your 1 bulb in the house on.

But if you want to live like a Zinda Qoum like “developed country”, then our needs are much much higher.

With 4,000 MW we cannot run our textile and heavy industry.

This is precisely the type of looking 1 inch ahead of us, has gotten us into the deep dooodoo we are in.

Had we been planning for 30,000 MW 20+ years ago, we would be a flourishing industrial power.

We instead looked at 1 bulb per house $hite, and look what did we get ourselves into.

Having said that, I am not opposing your idea of 3 to 4 large nuclear plants RIGHT AWAY.

I am just saying think long term, and set goals for Pak to be an industrial power and not like our ancestral BIMARU homeland place like Bihar, and UP.

That’s all.

15

Re: N-plants To Figure In Talks, US may offer India-like nuke deal to Pakistan

Its amazing that before the 4,000 MW ran the industries just fine for the period Musharraf was in power.

Once again you place incorrect information and when proven wrong don't have the balls to accept it.

16

Bhai,

have you ever try to run a large factory (300 to 400 workers minimum) in Pakistan?

Just answer this please. What type and when?

17

Re: N-plants To Figure In Talks, US may offer India-like nuke deal to Pakistan

Have you? Seriously is your internet ego so important you can't just laugh it off and accept you made a mistake?

18

“it doesn’t hurt to let them dream”

from Foreign Policy magazine…

Senators pour cold water on Pakistani nuclear hopes
By Josh Rogin Tuesday, March 23, 2010 - 6:42 PM Share

The State Department is being extremely cagey about how it views the prospect of a civilian nuclear deal with Pakistan, which multiple reports say the Pakistani delegation is likely to propose this week in Washington. But the leaders of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee? Not so much.

When you think about it, the State Department’s position makes perfect sense. Why throw cold water on the idea only one day before the brand-new U.S.-Pakistan strategic dialogue? Even though the practicalities of giving explicit nuclear assistance to Pakistan are extremely complicated, to say nothing of the politics – giving that country’s proliferation risks, ties to extremists, and failure to punish one-man nuclear arms merchant A.Q. Khan – it doesn’t hurt to let them dream, right?

“I’m sure that that’s going to be raised and we’re going to be considering it, but I can’t prejudge or preempt what the outcome of our discussions will be,” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told Pakistan’s Express TV Group in a Monday interview. She was quick to point out that a similar deal with India “was the result of many, many years of strategic dialogue.”

At Tuesday’s State Department press conference, spokesman P.J. Crowley was equal parts polite and vague when questioned about a nuclear deal.

“As far as I know, we have not been talking to Pakistan about a civilian nuclear deal,” he said. “If Pakistan brings it up during the course of the meetings in the next two days, we’ll be happy to listen.”

OK, so the administration is open to listening to Pakistan’s desire for a deal within the context of the strategic dialogue. And the Pakistanis made it clear in their 56-page prep document that they want such a deal.

Any objections?

Actually, yes.

On Capitol Hill, where lawmakers are still smarting from the last deal they made with Pakistan (when Pakistan complained about the billions of dollars U.S. taxpayers are giving them) and still fighting over who gets to spend those billions, the prospect of a sweeping new nuclear deal with Pakistan seems too far-fetched to even discuss right now.

“I don’t think it’s on the table right now considering all over the other issues we have to confront,” Senate Foreign Relations chairman John Kerry, D-MA, told The Cable. “There are countless things that they would have to do in order to achieve it. If they’re willing to do all those things, we’ll see.”

Kerry emphasized that he believed a nuclear deal was not “directly” part of the strategic dialogue this week.

“There are a lot of things that come first before that. It’s really premature,” he went on. “It’s appropriate as something for them to aspire to and have as a goal out there, but I don’t think it’s realistic in the near term.”

His words were echoed by his Republican counterpart Richard Lugar, D-IN, who told The Cable he believes the idea of a nuclear deal should be delinked from the strategic dialogue.

“I think it’s premature. It’s not likely to be part of the agenda at this time,” he said.

Lugar said he totally understands Pakistan’s desire for energy cooperation and even gets why the country would sign a gas pipeline deal with Iran, which could certainly irk the United States as it pursues petroleum sanctions against that very regime.

“Everybody is desperate for resources and that has superseded a number of other considerations,” Lugar said.

Kerry and Lugar each met separately Tuesday morning with Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, who was in Washington ahead of the State Department talks.

link

19

Re: N-plants To Figure In Talks, US may offer India-like nuke deal to Pakistan

^^ Nothing amuses me more than reading this article, i hope the contents are right and USA is simply not providing any nuclear assistance to Pakistan....

The best thing for Pakistan is to get access to Americans market and make Americans agree to leave Afghanistan...

20

Yeap.

Had you learned something instead of wandering around the world in the tribal societies, you would have known the same facts.